Revised September 26, 1998

E pay tribute to Daisy for her pure little spirit and for the joy she gave all her life to her beloved companion. Daisy was not a "well-bred" Cocker, though looking at her picture, one could never guess that. She was clearly a beautiful girl. Unfortunately, she had health problems, which often made day-to-day living very difficult.

Her devoted mother stuck by her all the way, giving her whatever she needed to be as normal a dog as possible. Because of her mother's devotion, Daisy lived to be a fairly old girl. Even days before her death, she liked to be picked up and carried in her mother's arms out into the fresh Northern California air, where she could sit and blink against the breeze and the sunshine. Daisy's mother contacted me after her death in serious grief, wondering if she could ever love another dog again.

She became one of our most valued supporters and recently discovered (after months of mourning Daisy's loss) that she could indeed open her heart to a new unfortunate. She has adopted a very needy young female Cocker, not to take Daisy's place, but because of the profound love and commitment she found in Daisy.

In spite of all the physical hardships Daisy suffered and endured, without complaint, she lived a full rich life, a beautiful circle of love given and received. The strength of her spirit and her devotion to her mother kept her alive long past what anyone might have imagined, and that spirit and bond endure even today. Her story is an inspiration to all of us. It represents the best of what people and animals can be to each other, even when the odds can be so stacked against them.